Forge the Path of Sorcery

by NAK Baldron

There was a news clipping of the new mayor and several hand-written letters.

  "This man brought us here," Slava continued.

  "We've been tracking Them across the US for some time," Lance said. "Austin seems to have a large influx of Them. We believe it's all due to this man." He tapped his finger on the newspaper.

  "I have seen his true form," Slava said. "He is the largest werewolf I have ever seen. If he were in this room, his head would be through the ceiling."

  "Wow," Kandice said. "I had never seen an oversized Aether Walker until the first night I met y'all."

  "They're extremely rare," Lance said. "But they pop up in large cities from time to time."

  "Due to his high profile," Slava said. "We will have to plan an attack. We cannot kill him on the street. The only option is to infiltrate his home, and that requires neutralizing his protection."

  "You can't do that!" Kandice protested. "You can't kill innocent people."

  "We won't," Lance reassured her. "We still have to find his house. While it will have a security system and armed guards, we suspect that many of his armed guards will be fellow Aether Walkers. They tend to serve more powerful ones."

  "But what if they're humans? Just doing their job, not knowing what he is? I can't believe our mayor is an Aether Walker." She sat back against the couch and stared at the ceiling.

  Memories of the night she tracked a reptilian who made sure its prey got home safe weighed on her. What did it mean that some Aether Walkers appeared to care about humans?

  "She is not ready," Slava said.

  "Once she sees his true form she will be," Lance told Slava before turning back to Kandice. "I don't expect you to take our word for it. You will need to see it with your own eyes, but for the time being, we need to work under the assumption that you believe us."

  Lance poured a glass of vodka and handed it to Kandice. "You look like you could use a drink."

  Kandice drank it without hesitation. Her own drinking was becoming excessive by her standards—the past weeks' alcohol consumption seemed like more than her lifetime of consumption before meeting Lance. The slight burn of the vodka distracted her mind. It felt like too much to process. It had been hard to come to terms with Aether Walkers, but now, to discover they were this powerful. It scared her to know they have been around as long as humanity. But it was more horrifying that they could also hold positions of power.

  Kandice stood up. "I need some air."

  Out on her old patio, it took several deep breaths to process all the information. A flock of birds flying overhead caught her attention. It would be nice to fly away from her problems, but it was better to face them. They wouldn't disappear on their own—the forum post had shown her that much.

  "Do you feel up to talking again?" Lance asked once she came back inside.

  "Yeah," she said, and took her seat on the sofa. "Last I remember, we were discussing the mayor's bodyguards. So, there will be a lot of bodyguards? How many do you think?"

  "Yes, we predict four or five," Lance said. "We may have found his house, but I'll need to scout it out and make sure. That's the real reason I called. Slava is not up to long stakeouts, and I hoped you would join me."

  "I don't know. I still find it hard to believe the mayor could be an Aether Walker." Kandice shook her head. It was just so crazy.

  "If you come, you can see for yourself," Lance said.

  "Okay," she said. "But I need time to think about this. I never considered they could be in positions of power. If the mayor can be one, who else could?"

  "That's the biggest problem," Lance said. "We rarely see political figures in person. On TV and in photos, they look like a normal human. We have to see them in person to see the difference."

  "That's a relief to hear," Kandice said. "I've taken photos before, and they always looked normal on film. I was wondering if it was just me."

  "No," Lance said. "It's one of the weird aspects of their body makeup. I think we're able to see the parallel dimension they exist in. Slava disagrees."

  "Why?" Kandice said.

  Slava answered for himself. "I have seen many things. Parallel dimensions are science fiction. Science can't explain these creatures. They have existed long before mankind invented science."

  "Slava doesn't believe in science," Lance mocked. "He holds to old religious beliefs and thinks they're demons."

  "They are," Slava insisted. "The Bible describes such creatures."

  "Yes, and it also tells us that men used to live to be three hundred and that there was once a great flood that covered the entire world. The text is so old that humans still lived in tribes. It can teach us, but it's not facts."

  Slava raised his voice and shouted in Russian and Lance responded in Russian. They argued for a minute, and then Kandice heard her name, and Slava left into his room.

  "I'm sorry about that," Lance apologized. "My grandfather and his parents faced persecution for holding onto their religious views, and it's made him defensive."

  "I see," Kandice said.

  "Don't think I have anything against religion or any faith for that matter. I'm just more skeptical about the texts than my grandfather."

  "Oh yeah. I'm the same way." Kandice nodded along with her words. "My aunt keeps trying to get me to go to church with her, but I'm not sure I believe. I figure there's something greater than us, but I don't know what it is."

  "Exactly!"

  They sat together in silence—it was comforting to have found another skeptic that wasn't outright confrontational toward it. In high school, there were strong advocates for atheism who viewed all religions as dangerous. Religion always seemed like a good thing to Kandice—at least for those who believed. She just hadn't found the right religion that made sense for her.

  "I need to go." Her attempt at staying away was only delaying the confrontation with her aunt, regarding her departure this morning. "When do you want to do the stakeout?"

  "Can you sleep today and meet up tonight?" he asked. "Once we're there, we need to stay until we see him. We'll use Slava's car. It's more comfortable than the truck, and your bike would stand out too much."

  "Sure. Just call me, and I'll meet you here?"

  Lance followed her to the door and held it open. As she was walking out, he stopped her by the shoulder. His eyes were beautiful up close. The blue was vibrant and deep. Producing a momentary lapse in her thoughts.

  "Are you okay to drive?" he asked.

  "Yeah."

  "Okay, see you tonight."

  "Later."

  He smiled at her as she left, and his teeth shimmered in the bright sun. Everything about him made her mind trail to places it hadn't been before. The developing feelings made her nervous. If he had been in her college class, he could have been someone to pursue. But under the circumstances, it made more sense that her desires stemmed from what he represented to her rather than authentic attraction.

  It's just a crush.

  * * *

  All Kandice could think of when she got back home, was food. Jackie was still in the living room watching TV—odd since she usually spent the weekends out with her friends.

  Jackie turned the TV off as Kandice opened the fridge.

  "Where were you this morning?"

  "I was at a friend's house . . ." Kandice paused for a moment to gather herself. "We were doing homework."

  "You could have said something. I worried, and I know you saw me as you drove off."

  "Sorry." Kandice prayed for the conversation to end.

  I just want to eat!

  "Well, in the future, you had better let me know where you are going."

  Kandice didn't respond. Instead she began to make a sandwich. They had a long night ahead of them, and it wouldn't be possible without food and sleep.

  Her aunt walked into the kitchen. "How is school going?"

  "Fine." Kandice put the final slice of bread on top.

  "What does that mean? Have you had any assignments yet?"

 
"A few." She took a bite of the sandwich.

  "Young lady, put down the food and talk with me. I want to know you're doing well in college and doing what you're supposed to."

  She forced herself to stay calm. "Can't you just leave me alone? I'm hungry and tired. I need to get some sleep."

  "Don't take that tone with me. You will show me the respect I deserve."

  "Yes, mam," she said, as perky as possible. "College is great. I've gotten all A's so far."

  Kandice wrapped the sandwich in a paper towel—not listening as Jackie lectured about attitude and responsibility—and went upstairs.

  "Don't walk away from me," Jackie said.

  Kandice took the stairs two at a time. Blake's door was open, and he sat at his computer.

  She stopped at his doorway and got his attention, "Do you have time to talk?"

  "Sure," he said. "Just let me finish this dungeon first."

  Kandice pointed to her sandwich. "No worries."

  She walked into her bedroom, leaving the door open.

  "This conversation isn't over! We will be talking about this later," Jackie called from downstairs.

  Kandice pulled open her laptop and checked her email. There was a new one from her apartment locator. He mentioned that he found three apartments with openings toward the end of the month that were only fifty dollars more a month than her budget.

  In the long run, it would be better to rent a one bedroom instead of an efficiency so Blake could move in if he wanted. With their combined income they could save money, compared to what they were paying Jackie. Blake wouldn't stay here once he realized moving out would mean fewer rules. Now that he knew and accepted the truth about the Aether Walkers, hopefully dealing with the real world would be easier.

  The light was coming in through the cracks in the blinds, giving the room a soft glow. After her second bite of the sandwich, her hunger took over, and she scarfed it down in five bites. Blake walked in as she finished the last bite. Kandice smirked with cheeks stuffed with turkey. He laughed and pointed at a small spot of mustard on the corner of her mouth.

  "So, what's up? Did you just get home?"

  She swallowed. "Yeah, but I left early this morning. I wasn't out all night. Do me a favor and close the door."

  He closed it, then sat down in her desk chair.

  Kandice looked at the door to make sure it latched. "I've got something big to tell you. Remember I told you that I've met someone else who can see them."

  "You mean the monsters?"

  "Yeah. I call them Aether Walkers. There's far more than just the type that killed mom."

  "Who is it?"

  Kandice spent the better part of an hour explaining who Lance was and the two weeks it took to find him again. She described Slava and how amusing his unwillingness to speak English was. But left out their ability to shift, it would be too much for him to process right now. Without seeing them do it in person it sounded like something out of a movie.

  Blake let her ramble on. He nodded and gasped where appropriate, but otherwise remained silent. Kandice noticed his eyes growing dim as she went on. When she finished, a ghostly-silence settled in the room, leaving only the hum of the air conditioning.

  "They live in our old house! What are the odds of that?" Blake asked.

  "I don't know, but it caught me off guard—"

  "There's no way that's a coincidence. They could be stalking—"

  "I don't think so. They seemed just as surprised as me when I met them. They're just hunters who were drawn here. I think they might have been drawn to the house because we lived there, but it's not because they were stalking us."

  "They hunt them?" Blake asked, after a few moments.

  "Yeah, they kill the ones who kill."

  "But they look human?" Blake's face showed his confusion.

  "To everyone else," Kandice said. "I hunt them too, though not the deadly ones."

  "I'm still trying to get my head around the fact they're real. In the hospital, they made me talk about what I saw until I convinced myself it had been a dream."

  "I know. I'm so sorry." She looked away from him.

  Blake nodded.

  "I want you to meet them," Kandice said. "We're hunting down a major one. It's larger than any I've ever seen. Lance says he's more powerful than any of the others here."

  "How?" Blake asked—worried. "If he's that powerful, it'll be too dangerous."

  "We don't know yet. We're working on a plan. Lance and I will stalk him tonight." Kandice wasn't ready to share that it was the mayor. "But tomorrow, or the next day, I want to take you out to the bars so you can see Them."

  "Sounds good," he said. "I need to know I'm not crazy."

  "You never were." She got off her bed and walked over to him. "It's my fault you ended up there."

  "I don't blame you." He stood up. "I know how crazy it must sound to anyone else."

  Kandice gave him a hug, and Blake squeezed her back, lifting her off the ground. They laughed together before Blake returned to his room. Kandice shut her light off and laid in the dark, watching the glow of the sun through the cracks of her blinds. Her mind was running too fast to sleep—she switched her focus to the fan to zone out and waited for sleep to take over.

  INTERLUDE II

  Sapphire Nation, Fencura

  "ARE YOU A MAN? Or a dog to lay on your back in the dirt?" Takumi jabbed Akio's side with his training sword.

  It was well past noon, and they'd been training since before the source-light rose. Akio's whole body ached, and all he wanted was to lay on the ground for ten minutes to recover. But with Shaya watching his training there was no way he could indulge his desire for rest.

  "A dog, is it?"

  "No!" Akio didn't mean for it to come out as a yell.

  "Good. Then get up and show me what you've learned."

  Akio used his training sword as a crutch and pushed himself onto his feet. The old man hit him three times in quick session—ankle, hip, wrist. Akio's face hit the straw mats. The last blow had sent his sword flying right and himself forward. He could taste a hint of blood—the inside of his lip was cut.

  So much for impressing Shaya.

  The floor felt as soft as his bed at home. If he kept his eyes closed, he could fall asleep in no time.

  "Up! Get up."

  Akio groaned but managed to find the strength to push himself to his feet, and as he hobbled over to his sword, he saw Shaya returned to her own training. He may be her First Sworn, but no Thief Lord can rely on others to protect them. They each must learn to fight to the death for the Time of Daggers, and Shaya's youth would only make her more of an enticing target.

  "Defend yourself."

  This time Akio managed to block the old man's attacks. As he only moved at half speed, making it easier for Akio to follow. If Takumi wanted, he could easily kill Akio even with a practice sword. Akio was smart enough to know it, and thus listened to everything the old man told him as if his life depended on it. There was a real possibility that one day it would. Shaya was counting on him to defend her at all costs.

  Three more repetitions passed, and Akio found himself short of breath; the warmth of the source-light baked down upon his back as he danced in circles with the master.

  "Good." Takumi pointed his sword to Akio's right foot. "But you're still leading with your feet in all the wrong ways. You show your intent to attack before you strike. Any observant opponent will notice this tell, and punish you for it. Observe."

  The master struck the air, again, and again. "Do you see? Be the octopus, not the shark. Everyone will fear a shark, but an octopus can lull its opponents into false security and then strike." He punctuated the last with a sword strike he stopped inches from Akio's face.

  Akio bowed low. "Yes Master."

  "Good. We're done for the day. Tomorrow you'll bring two sacks filled with stones."

  "Yes Master." Akio bowed again, but Takumi was already walking away to speak with Shaya.

 
Fortune smiled upon Akio to have Shaya as a Lord. There was no other Thief Lord who'd spend such a fortune on training a lowly son of a fisherman to become a fighter. Using the practice sword as a stick, he gripped either end and pulled left then right—doing his best to stretch out the tension he could feel coalescing between his shoulders. He'd never realized just how heavy swords were. The wooden practice sword was filled with a weighted core to create the right balance, and build the proper muscles. A practice sword needed to be as close to the real thing as possible. It wouldn't be of much use if he grew accustomed to a lightweight version of the weapon he'd actually use in a life and death situation.

  Of course, Shaya's form was perfect, as Akio watched with jealousy. Master Takumi didn't chastise her for dropping her guard, or whack her on the wrist every time he passed it. No, Takumi danced with Shaya, and she proved herself to be worthy of the title Kaito-Tanken. This only made Akio more determined to become the greatest fighter he could. His honor wouldn't permit him to allow his Lord to be a better fighter than himself. Else why wear the title of First Sworn?

  In a quick thrust, parry, thrust, Shaya managed to slip under Takumi's guard and touch the tip of her sword to his stomach. Not a quick death, but a killing blow nonetheless.

  Takumi bowed to her. "Congratulations. That was hidden eel, and excellently done. It would appear your weapon has chosen you." He turned away from her and addressed his two assistants and Akio. "We're done for the day. You can all leave now."

  It wasn't a suggestion, it was a command, and they quickly gathered their things and left the training room, passing through the sandy courtyard of Takumi's estate. A lavish home on the far east side of the city, cut off on the south and west side by streets. To the north lay the Emperor's wall, denoting his private lands. To the east stood a sheer cliff face which also acted as a barrier between the city limits and the Emperor's estate.

  Akio sat alone on the front porch waiting—the assistants having long since left—when Takumi and Shaya emerged from the courtyard. She walked with a slight spring in her step, clearly happy from their conversation.

  "Akio. Tomorrow you'll bring stones and we'll train up your strength. You're still young, but it's never too early to build."